CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING

CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING

Prepared by :

Azman Omar

WHAT IS CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING?

Co-operative learning involves a number of pupils learning together in the spirit of co-operation as opposed to a competitive or individualistic stance.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING IS NOT

students sitting around a table studying together

team projects with just 1 or 2 students doing the work

CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING IS CHARACTERISED BY :

Positive interdependence

Individual accountability

Face-to-face interaction

Collaborative skills

Debriefing process

POSITIVE INTERDEPENDENCE

No member gets to complete his/her learning task unless all members in the group co-operate.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Each member in the group is responsible for the success of the group collectively.

FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION

Members of the group work closely with one another.

COLLABORATIVE SKILLS

Group members use inter-personal skills through social interaction in a heterogeneous group.

DEBRIEFING PROCESS

Reflect by looking back at how the discussions have been carried out.

Studies have shown that co-operative learning lends a positive effect in academic achievement, self-esteem, inter-cultural respect, co-operative behaviour and positive attitude towards the less abled.

Co-operative learning stresses on higher order thinking skills (HOTS), such as analysis and evaluation.

The teacher should make careful preparations before co-operative learning is conducted. Availability of informative reading material is very important because pupils require reference material when discussion is conducted. Books related to the topic for discussion must be sorted out from the library well beforehand.

BENEFITS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Information retention

Academic achievement

Higher-level thinking skills

Attitudes toward subject, motivation to learn it

Race, gender relations

Class attendance

Teamwork, interpersonal skill

Understanding of professional environment

Communication skill

Self esteem

Lower level of anxiety (reduced competition)

WHY COOPERATIVE LEARNING WORK?

Active learning

Individual students get stuck, give up. Teams keep going.

Students see and learn alternative problem-solving strategies.

More and better question generation, less fear in class.

Students, like professors, learn best what they teach.

They are various types of co-operative learning. 3 types that are popular are :

Student Team Achievement Division (STAD)

Jigsaw

Group Investigation (GI)

All the 3 types follow the three-phase format shown below :

Phase : Determining Information

Student Team Achievement Division (STAD)JigsawGroup Investigation (GI)Teacher presents new academic information to pupils each week.Academic material given to pupils.Pupils choose a specific topic within of a general problem. Teacher and pupils plan procedure, tasks and learning objectives.

Phase : Group Learning

Student Team Achievement Division (STAD)JigsawGroup Investigation (GI)Working in groups of four or five members, pupils use worksheets to master academic material and help each other through tutorial, quiz or discussion.Pupils are divided into 4-6 home groups. Each home group sends a member to form a group of experts to study a part of academic material. These experts return to respective home groups to teach other members. Group involves themselves in various activities in and out of school. Group analyses and evaluates information and plans how the information can be summarised in an attractive form.

Phase : Evaluation & Reflection

Student Team Achievement Division (STAD)JigsawGroup Investigation (GI)Pupils are given weekly of fortnightly quizzes. Each pupil is given a Progress Score, i.e. marks exceeding the previous average. Results of groups and individuals with the highest progress score and their total scores are recorded on the notice notice board.Pupils go through quizzes individually. Group and individuals with the highest marks are announced on the notice board.Group presents result of study. Individual or group evaluation carried out by pupils and teacher.

Another example effective strategies in cooperative learning are :

Think-Pair-Share

Numbered Heads

Teams-Games-

Tournaments

3-2-1

Round Table

Value Line

Find the Fib

TOPICS SUITABLE FOR CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING

Competition as a form of interaction among living things (Living World, 6)

Choosing types of electrical resources (Physical World, 5)

Recycling of materials (Material World, 6)

Comparing information about the earth, sun and moon (Earth & The Universe, 4)

Side effects of technology on human beings and the environment (World of Technology, 6)

SAMPLE ACTIVITY OF CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING

~Student Team Achievement Division (STAD)~

COMPARISON & DIFFERENTIATION

EarthSunMoonSIMILARITIESDIFFERENCES FROM1.2.3.4.5.CONCLUSION

SAMPLE ACTIVITY OF CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING

~Jigsaw~

1

3

4

2

1

3

4

2

1

3

4

2

1

3

4

2

1

3

4

2

1

3

4

2

1

3

4

2

1

3

4

2

1

2

3

4

4 HOME GROUPS

4 EXPERT GROUPS

RETURN TO HOME GROUPS